Conventional light bulbs and lamps experience significant drawbacks. High Intensity Discharge (HID) bulbs, such as Mercury vapor, high-pressure Sodium, metal halide and other high-intensity bulbs such as halogen, high-powered compact fluorescent, etc., produce high intensity light, but the bulbs typically generate a significant amount of heat, have a limited useful life, are susceptible to damage from fairly rough handling, and can be expensive. Some HID bulbs also contain mercury, such as Mercury vapor and compact fluorescents. The HID and high-intensity bulbs also typically produce light in a spherical pattern, such that a significant portion of the generated light from the bulb is blocked or disrupted by the fixtures into which these bulbs are installed. Conventional HID bulbs typically include a mogul base that screw into a mogul base socket in the light fixture. Conventional non-HID bulbs or lamp used to replace HID bulbs, such as fluorescent bulbs or LED lamps, typically require rewiring of the ballast or reconfiguration of the fixture's socket to receive the replacement bulb or lamp. This reconfiguration of the fixture can be time consuming labor intensive, and expensive.
Flat LED retro-fit lamp kits have been developed to provide improved efficiency and lighting characteristics. The conventional flat retro-fit lamps, however, typically require a fitting that mates with the light fixture so as to insure that the flat lamp is properly oriented relative to the fixture when installed. Accordingly, light fixtures that include a mogul base socket or other receptacles for HID bulbs typically have to be modified or removed and it is necessary to rewire the fixture and to remove existing ballasts and/or head fixtures with a compatible receptacle for the flat LED lamp. This retrofit process is also time consuming, labor intensive, and expensive.
Conventional incandescent light bulbs also suffer from significant drawbacks. Typical incandescent medium base light bulbs are extremely inefficient, relatively fragile, very susceptible to damage or breakage, and have fairly short useful lives. In addition, government regulations are phasing out incandescent light bulbs, including many of the medium base incandescent light bulbs sold in the residential markets. Accordingly, such medium base incandescent light bulbs will not be available in their current state and there is no guarantee that the modified hybrid incandescent light bulbs will be as efficient, provide for lower heat output or an equal light output, and there is a significant need for a lamp that overcomes the drawbacks of the conventional or the new hybrid bulbs.